Rail-brace.



L. A. MUNDWILLER & H. A. NOEDEL.

RAIL BRACE.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 16. 1915.

Patented Jan. 18, 1916.

LEO All/ITINDWVILLER AND HERBERT A. NOEDEL, or Barrens, MIssouitL'BAIL-BRACE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedd an. 18, 1616.

Application filed September 16, 1915. Serial No. 50,995.

To all who-m itmay concern:

Be it known that we, Lno A. M NDWILLER and HERBERT A. NoEDnL, citizensof, the United States, residing at Berger, in the county of Franklin,State of Missouri, have invented a new and usefulRail-Brace; and we dohereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same. i V

This invention relates to an improved adjustable rail brace, and anobject of the invention is to provide a brace fornot only preventingtherails from spreading, butto prevent the upper portions of the railsor treads from leaning or bending outwardly.

Another object of the inventionis to provide a device 'comprisingcertain new and improved features of construction.

One of the features of construction is the provision of a rail braceconsisting of two sections having adjustableconnections, the outer endportion of each section having reinforcing or bracing means suitablywelded into shape to brace and hold the treads of the rails rigidly andfirmly against leaning or bending outwardly. In other words, the tighterthe sections are drawn together, the tighter the bracing means willwedge against the web and theunder, portion of the tread. I r

In practical fields the details of constrution may necessitatealterations falling within the scope of what is claimed.

The inventioncomprises further features.

and combinations of parts hereinafter .set forth, shown in the drawingsand claimed.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view through a pairof rails mounted upon a tie, and illustrating the rail bracing means oranti-spreading means in full lines as applied to the rails. Fig. 2 is aplan view of Fig. 1. Fig. ,3 is a detail perspective view of one end ofone of the sections of the rail brace, showing the bracing means forreinforcing the rail. Fig. 1 is a sectional view through one of thebracing means at the outer end of one of the sections.

Referring to the drawings, 1 and 2 designate two rails, and 3 the tie onwhich the rails are secured by the spikes 4.

The rail brace consists of the two sections 5 and 6, which aresubstantially flat, as

shown. However, the adjacent ends of the cylindrical sections areprovided with threaded extensions 7 and 8, which are con 5 nected by aturn buckle 9, so that by turn ing the buckle and owing to the threadsof i the cylindrical extensions being right and left, the sections 5 and6 will be drawn axially toward each other. Also threaded upon theextensions 7 and 8 are lock nuts 10 and 11, which are designed to beturned home against the end of the turn buckle 9,

thereby preventing the same from unscrewing. In constructing thesections 5 and 6, the outer end of each section is bent upon itself, asshown at 12, after which the bent portion 13 is welded in any suitablemanner against the end part of the section. Rising upwardly andextending toward the outer face of each rail and from the bent part 13is a bracing and wedging member 14. This member in cross section uponeither of the lines H or 55 is T-shaped, as shown, thereby afiording afirm brace, one'thatwill notbecome distorted, bent or irregular. In

constructing this bracing or wedging member, its extreme lower baseportion 15 is welded to the bent portion or part 13 securely and firmly,The base portion 16 extends slightly angularly upwardly and toward theouter face of the web of each rail, from the base portion 15, and isspaced from the upper face of the section (which extends under the baseof the rail) to form a space 17 between the upper face of thesection andthe base 16, into which space 17 the outer part of the base of the railwedges,

that is, when the section is drawn toward the rail. 7 The upwardlyextending part 18 I of the bracing or wedging member extends upwardlyand toward the web of the rail and at an acute angle to the outer faceof the web and at an obtuse angleto the base portion 16, so, that incase the web tendsto lean outwardly, outward and downward pressure willbe exerted upon the part 18, forcing the .part 16 toward and firmlyagainst the outer portion of the base of the rail. The part 18terminates atits upper end in a portion 19 which is in parallelism withthe web of the rail, and which terminates short of the under part of theouter portion of the tread 0f the rail.

The web 20 of the wedging or bracing means or member of the shape shownis molded or otherwise constructed or welded integral with the parts 15,16, 18 and 19, in

order to afford a rigid structure, or wedge between the under face ofthe tread and the upper face of the base of the rail. The web- 20 iscut-away or cut-out, as shown at 21, and welded integrally into thiscut-out or cut-away portion is the angular part 22 of upon the rails Thepart 5250f the plate 23 is first riveted, as shown at 27, to the portion19 of the web, after which the parts 24 and 25 are firmly welded orotherwise integrally connected to the inner face and theupper edge ofthepart 19, thereby providing an improved, firm and rigid wedging orbracing member for the rail, which will firmly or rigidly support therail and resist the leaning or bending of the rail incident to alllateral strain as the wheels of the rolling stock pass over the rails.In case'there is any tendency for theouter portion of the tread of therail to bend or be beaten down -wardly by the constant travel of thewheels on the rails, the wedging or bracing memher will be forced towardthe base of the rail, and the tighter the turnbuckle is screwed, thebracing or wedging member will force toward the web of the rall and vupwardly against the under face .of the tread, thereby insuringefficient and" tical bracing means for the rail.

The invention having been fully set pracforth, what is claimed as newand useful 1. Bracing means for a pair of rails cons1st1ng of twosections extending under the bases of both'rails and having their inneradjacent ends adjustably connected and axially alined; the outerendportion of each section beyond where it passes under the base of .arail being bent upon itself, thev bent portion being welded integrallyto the upper face of the section, a wedging or bracing member T-shapedin cross-section and, being angular in elevation and having its outerbase portion Welded integrally to the bent part of the section, theinner part of the wedging member being spaced apart from' the sectionand designed to overlie Copies of this patent may be obtained-foragainst the upper face of the outer partof the base of the rail, and acompound angular plate welded integrally to the upper end of bases ofboth rails and having their inner adjacent ends adjustably connected andaxially alined; the outer end portion of each section beyond where itpasses under the :baseof a rail being bent upon itselffthe bent portionbeing welded integrally to the upper face of the section, a wedging orbracing member T-shaped in cross-section and beingangular in elevationand having its outer base portion welded integrally to the bent part ofthe section, the inner part of the wedging member-being spaced apartfrom the section and designed tooverlie against the upper face of theouter part of the base of the rail, a compound angular plate Weldedintegrally to the upper end of the bracing or wedging member to receiveand wedge against the under face of the outer part of the tread of therail to support the same, and to wedge against the web of the rail, saidbent portion of the outer end ofthe section terminating short of theouter edge of the base of therail, to form a space into which thebaseofthe rail 'is designed to wedge, said compound angular plate beingadditionally riveted to the upper part of the wedging member, theadjusting of the two sections axially toward each other causing,

the wedging member to more firmly wedge or'brace between the'base of therail and the under face of the tread, to withstand the tendency ofthe-railleaning' or bending outwardly, and means for locking said adjustable means for the sections.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

LEO A. MUNDWILLER. r V HERBERT NOEDELQ l/Vitnesses:

WESLEY J. 'NOEDEL, R; G. MINNIGERODE.

five cents each, byiaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington,1). C.

